Here’s our interview with Ahmad Maksoud, Executive Communications Coach, Panel Moderator/Host, Actor, Writer, and Producer, about his rules for success.

Ahmad Maksoud is a Senior Executive Coach with GK Training. His extensive background in public speaking, writing, vocal pedagogy, and a decade-long career in performance enriches his communication teaching and coaching capabilities. He met Joseph while offering feedback to startup founders practicing upcoming pitches at the community tech event TechUnited, and he coaches a suite of clients across industries: in finance, legal, academia, and medicine.

Background of Ahmad Maksoud

On stage, Ahmad Maksoud performed as an original cast member in the 10-time Tony winning Broadway musical The Band’s Visit and received a Lucille Lortel nomination for “Outstanding Lead Actor” for his performance in The Public’s The Visitor. He has been seen on television and at regional theaters across the country. He continues to produce his own independent film work.

He graduated from Northeastern University and holds an M.F.A. in Acting from the American Repertory Theater at Harvard University.

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Ahmad Maksoud Questions and Discussions

Here’s a bullet-point summary of the questions and discussions from our interview with Ahmad Maksoud:

1. Ahmad Maksoud’s Creative and Professional Background

• Grew up in Boston; began acting as a child.
• Studied acting in undergrad and earned an MFA from the American Repertory Theater at Harvard.
• Broadway performer and original cast member in The Band’s Visit; nominated for a Lucille Lortel Award.
• Ahmad Maksoud transitioned into executive coaching with GK Training, combining his performance experience with communication coaching.

2. Value of Broadway and Storytelling

• Appreciates the extended engagement Broadway offers compared to short-run shows.
• Enjoys experiencing character development with rotating cast members, offering fresh interpretations of roles.
• Believes storytelling helps people understand different lived experiences and the human condition.

3. Path to Communication Coaching

• Acting sparked his interest in how and why people communicate.
• Noted a lack of intentional learning around speaking—despite it being our most frequent activity.
• Joined GK Training to teach communication as a physical activity, not just a cognitive task.

4. Key Concepts from Coaching

• “Perception ≠ Reality”: Most people are poor judges of how they actually communicate.
• Coaches offer objective feedback and kinesthetic drills to change physical habits affecting communication.
• Communication improvement should be practiced like athletic training—through physical preparation and repetition.

5. The Physicality of Communication

• Communication uses over 100 muscles; poor communication is usually due to physical behaviors, not lack of knowledge.
• Warming up the body, breath, and voice is essential before any high-stakes speaking moment.

6. Common Coaching Advice

• Shift from self-focus to other-focus: prioritize delivering value to your audience over worrying about your performance.
• Practice physical drills to condition better habits—like breath control, eye contact, and tone.

7. Overcoming Filler Words

• Filler words (e.g., “um,” “like”) are symptoms of discomfort with silence.
• Instead of just trying to avoid them, practice replacing them with confident pauses and controlled breathing.
• Relaxed silence can be a powerful tool to command attention and allow space for thinking.

8. Book: Don’t Say Um

• A practical guide with physical drills for improving communication.
• Offers online videos and a platform (GK Vault) for interactive learning and coaching support.
• Encourages positive doing over negative avoiding (e.g., “replace ‘um’ with a pause” vs. “don’t say ‘um’”).

9. The Role of AI in Communication

• AI has benefits, but its overuse may hinder our discomfort-driven growth.
• Ahmad Maksoud stresses the need to ask, “At what cost?” with every AI advancement.
• True growth, emotional, relational, and communicative, often comes from discomfort.

10. Communication as Love and Service

• Quoting The Road Less Traveled, he defines love as the effort to grow in order to include another.
• Effective communication is an act of service—requiring empathy, presence, and willingness to stretch beyond ego.
• Emphasizes simplicity in language, clarity, and presence as the highest forms of connection.

Joseph

📚 Resources Mentioned:

• 🧠 Book: Don’t Say Um by Michael Chad Hoeppner: dontsayum.com

• 💻 Platform: GK Vault, Community and tools from GK Training

• 🌍 Learn more at: gktraining.com